The Presidential Daily Brief

intriguing

Bird Flu Emergency Deepens in Midwest

The H5N2 bird flu virus is soaring in America. Three U.S. states — Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa — have declared emergencies following the deaths of 21 million domesticated fowl since December. Authorities are struggling to pinpoint how it’s spreading on commercial farms with strict biosecurity measures. They say the risk to humans remains low, and they’ve ruled out the usual suspects like transport trucks, but some say it’s time to look at wild bird populations in a bid to clip the disease’s wings.